The Darkness That Never Left
by SilverOcelot
Summary: Oliver Queen struggles with fighting back against Slade Wilson while trying to keep his life from falling apart before him.
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Felicity spoke over the radio com showing off her concern sternly.

"This is our one chance to take down Slade Wilson down once and for good. We can't pass it up now."

The Arrow made it clear to Felicity that he wanted things to end tonight and that the only way this had to go down is with Slade to die for everything he's done. Nothing else mattered at this point. It was do or die tonight, and he planned on making it his time to bring an end to this cycle of mind games and chaos throughout Starling City.

After responding quietly to Felicity to drown his whereabouts, he scouted the location of a building where Felicity had traced to be Slade's possible hideout in the city. It looked like an old abandoned structure from the outside but there was no doubt that Mr. Wilson could suffice there. After all, it would be nothing compared to the island and its travesties.

"I just don't think you should be doing this alone knowing what Slade is capable of. He's dangerous." She was worried and thinking about every possibility that this could go wrong. It wouldn't settle too well afterwards.

"I know what he's capable of, Felicity. That's why I have to stop him now before anything else bad happens." The vigilante reached behind himself into his quiver for a certain arrow to shoot to the building across from him. "I'm going in." He loaded up his bow and aimed with precision to make sure he would not miss this shot. The arrow sprung from the bow with a wire attached to it and into an open window parallel from him to stick into the wall.

"Please be careful." Felicity added in lowly as the archer hooked himself on the wire and took a running jump off of the roof he was staked out on, slowly but surely gliding across the gap between the two buildings and slipping through the window. Landing on his feet, he detaches himself and peers around the room filled with silence. It seems too quiet to be Slade Wilson's hideout.

Easing through the hallway, the archer walked through cautiously while loading a regular green tipped arrow and threaded it onto the line of the now just in case there are guards around or if he sees Slade himself. He starts to believe that what Felicity picked up on her network of computers really was just nothing short of an abandoned building.

It was just then until he turned the corner into a rather large room filled with computers, screens, and other high tech equipment appeared before him much like what there is back at their hideout, only much bigger. On the monitors were cameras watching over all of Starling City from every corner and traffic cam there was. The Arrow walked over to check each one for any suspicious activity until he found cameras watching over places he recognized the most; Verdant and the Queen residence.

"That's how you know where we are..." He muttered under his breath while adverting his eyes to the left and seeing a big glass case. Inside there was the gear worn by Slade Wilson himself, ultimately becoming Deathstroke when fully armored. He saw the armor, the grenades hanging from the chestplate, handguns, two swords, all followed by the black and orange mask to give Deathstroke his fear factor.

"Sorry, did you say something before?" Felicity chimed into his earpiece.

"Slade has cameras watching every inch of Starling City like his own television show. That's how he's been staying on top of us, knowing our every move and where we are whenever he wants." The green hooded vigilante plugged in a flash drive in the a port of the networks and typed in a few keys until a few folders came up and began to download the information. "We could use somehow to our advantage if needed." The download was complete and the Arrow swiped the drive back out and looked around again at the establishment.

"I don't see any sign of Slade here, the place is empty and his gear is still in the case. Do you have anything on him right now?"

"Nothing. I would've picked up something by now if he was around Starling somewhere but it's as quiet as an awkward situation tonight." Felicity turned her head around just in case Slade was planning to sneak up on her, letting out a relieved sigh there was no one there.

"If he's not here or around Starling, then tonight is not the night for him to be stopped. I'm heading back now. Which way to the roof of this place?"

Felicity pulled up the schematics and blueprints of where he was and perused through it until she found the way out of there. "There should be an exit on your right of the room you're in now. Then there's a set of stairs behind the doorway at the end of the hall. Take that up to the roof."

"On it."

The hooded man raced out of the room and followed his blonde associate's directions through his head, his bow raised still with the arrow equipped never knowing if this could still be a trap and he needed to be prepared for action at all times. But surprisingly, the place was still as dead as the night. Up the stairs the archer went, carefully aiming up at the next set with caution as he carefully took each step up.

The Arrow burst through the door back into the coolness of the Starling City night and stares out at the lights of the buildings that are keeping Starling awake. The mission hadn't been completed like he wanted it to which means Slade Wilson lives to die another day. He loads up another arrow and steps onto the edge of the building preparing for another temporary flight from building to building.

"Where are you going on such a fine night?" A thick musky accent filled the air that sprung into the vigilante's ears and it made him stop clean in his tracks. Out of his pocket, the Arrow pulled out a mask to put on over his face and under the hood and just ended under his eyes. His right hand pressed against his chest to initiate the the voice changer he always used to disguise his voice. Once he turned around, he stood before a rather large figure dressed in the same gear and uniform as he saw in the glass case topped of by the orange and black mask.

"What's the matter, Mr. Queen? Afraid to look into the eyes of your fate?" Slade egged him on toying with his head as he's previously been doing.

"I could say the same to you, Mr. Wilson." The deep voice fired back in exchange as he swapped out his wired arrow and replaced it with a regular arrow. Meanwhile, Slade had pulled a sword from the holster around his back and held it at his side.

"All in good time. It's a shame you want to die so quickly when you haven't even felt the suffering I did. Because when I make a promise, I keep it."

The Arrow tensed up and tightened his grip against his bow ready to fire and attack at the slightest drop of a pin. Slade's games have gone on far too long for him to still be alive playing them.

"I promise, Slade, that you are going to die. No matter what way or how quick it will be. I am going to stop you once and for all before you hurt anybody else."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, kid."

That was it. The vigilante wanted to hear no more from Slade Wilson and wanted to bring things to a proper end. He raised his bow quickly and fired the arrow, reaching back to load up another one and ran towards the man they call Deathstroke.

Slade chopped the flying arrow in half with a swing of the sword and followed suit to the archer, racing back towards him. The hooded archer fired arrow after arrow only to have them miss or be swatted away by Slade's trustworthy sword. Once he was in distance, Slade gripped the handle and swung fiercely.

The archer swiftly ducked underneath the swinging blade and acted quickly when Slade swung again, blocking it away with the compound bow. The two engaged back and forth, swinging and dodging each other's attacks. Slade and The Arrow clashed their weapons against one another and pushed forward trying to outdo the other in strength.

With the Mirakuru surging through his entire body, Slade gained the upper hand and pushed the archer off of him and delivered a swift kick to knock the Arrow to the edge of the building and almost off. Slade made sure not to let up and quickly pursued the vigilante and grasped his throat in a firm grip.

"What makes you think you can kill me when I have the Mirakuru pumping through my veins?" After almost fading, The Arrow reached back into his quiver and plunged an arrow forward into Slade Wilson's body and used both legs to kick the masked man back releasing his grip.

Slade began to laugh and pointed his sword at his enemy. "You think one arrow can stop-" It was then the arrow stuck in his chest began to beep rapidly and exploded before his eyes and stunned the man known as Deathstroke, forcing him down to one knee.

The Arrow saw this as his opportunity to strike now when it was best to. He dropped his bow and lunged towards Slade Wilson, throwing fist after fist with each punch hitting his head and body. Slade grunted in response only to have the vigilante knee's coming up into his face one after the other. With one final uppercut delivered to his jaw, Slade Wilson's mask flew off of his head and fell over to the side off him.

Slade Wilson dropped his sword and eventually stood on both of his knees in somewhat pain, feeling the Mirakuru work its magic on healing his body. The Arrow retrieved his bow and loaded an arrow up aiming it directly at Slade while he stared at the man who wore an eyepatch over his eye. Slade stared back, showing no fear whatsoever.

"Every promise I make, I keep and fulfill. This is no different!" The Arrow shouted towards his enemy.

Slade angrily looked at the bow and then back into the Arrow's eyes with his one eye. "I have no doubt in what kind of man you are. And what you are is a liar."

Within a few mere seconds, whatever pain The Arrow had caused Slade had vanished and he felt stronger than ever. Without hesitation, Slade drew a gun from his holster and fired twice. The first shot had just missed the archer but the second bullet flew straight into his leg, causing him to fall over.

Slade picked his sword up back into his hand and stood up from his knees now towering over the injured Arrow with authority. He was in pain, the sting in his leg to where the bullet passed through. Slade developed a smirk that lurked across his lips having taken down The Arrow once again.

"Come on, Oliver. Get up and fight. Fulfill your promise and put an end to my life the way you put an end to Shado's." Slade roared out to him filling with rage to the Mirakuru and with the thought of Shado dying. The Arrow attempted to stand on his two feet but was met with a clear fist to his face to knock him back down which hurt more than the average punch. "This is how it will end for you. Fighting for your life on a rooftop trying to be a hero. Trying to be something you're not."

Slade positioned the blade in his hand so that the sharped edge face the ground and raised it high above his head staring down at the man he once called his brother. "I'll make sure the ones you love and care about are sent to hell to meet you there." As he went to impale him, The Arrow shot up and stopped the blade in its tracks and jumped to wrap his legs around Deathstroke and pulled him down back to the ground and kept him there in an armbar-like hold.

But it wasn't enough to keep Slade grounded for long and he had to think quick. In luck, the hooded archer found the arrow he was meant to kill Slade with beside him and grabbed it, aiming straight for Slade's head. Before it came down, Slade grabbed the archer's wrist just inches before the tip reached his own skull and began crushing his bones. The Arrow could do nothing but shout out feeling the pain in his leg disappear and shoot to his wrist.

Slade Wilson broke the hold he found himself in and grabbed his sword with his free hand while the other was gripping onto The Arrow's wrist. Slade didn't waste one more second as he thrust the sword through The Arrow's body and watched him fall before him with no remorse as the man groaned in pain.

Slade narrowed his eyes down to the archer's body and turned him over with his foot noticing he was still breathing. He was relieved in a sense because he had no intentions of killing Oliver Queen on this night as he had more plans for his suffering.

"I want you to look at me face to face before you begin to fade and look at the man that you failed to kill twice. The same man who will kill you once the time is right when you have no one to value in your life no longer." Slade fell to one knee before The Arrow and hoisted his body up to drop his hood. The mask over his face came off next following the mask over his eyes quickly after. As Slade looked into the eyes that were staring into his one, his laughter began to fill the air as he stood up and began walking away slowly from the man.

"And so it continues..."

* * *

At Laurel's apartment, the door opened to her room and out stumbled the beautiful canary herself, Laurel Lance, a heartwarming smile across her lips as she turned around and let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank you so much for coming over tonight. I know I usually don't ever ask for these types of favors often of you anymore but everything's been so stressful lately with my life and..my dad and Sara. It was just something I needed for a night off so thank you." Laurel couldn't help from feeling a little tipsy from tonight but was glad someone was there so that she wouldn't go overboard with it again.

Before her appeared the infamously known billionaire playboy as some may call him, Oliver Queen. He exchanged the same smile to Laurel which basically came with his charm that he never lost on the island, something they were both glad that stuck with him.

"Yeah, it was my pleasure." He responded back to her. "Although I will apologize again for Sara leaving earlier before. I don't know what it was all about, I thought we were having a good time the three of us."

Laurel just shrugged her shoulders and leaned against the wall located outside of her door. "Ever since she came back into my life everything's seem changed with her too. I don't know so I'm going out on a limb and saying Thea called her to fill in for someone."

"I'll figure out the details when I see her later."

Laurel pulled Oliver into her arms for a hug in which he gladly returned to her. The former lovers always seemed to find their way back to one another no matter what interferes with them. It was cut off short, however, as he could feel his phone begin to vibrate inside his pocket. Oliver broke the hug pulled the device out, his facial expression going from happy to serious.

"I'm sorry, I have to take this real quick." He said to Laurel who nodded her head with a goofy smile. Sober or not, she couldn't deny her fatal attraction towards Oliver from the day she met him to now.

Oliver stepped aside while Laurel went back into her apartment to clean up and re-organize her place from their fun-filled night. The name 'Felicity' flashed on Oliver's phone when he hit answer and held the device to his ear wondering why Felicity was calling him so late at night.

"Felicity, what is it?" His voice whispered to her just to make sure Laurel wouldn't overhear anything pertaining to his other life.

"Oliver..." Her voice was shaky sounding like this phone call was forced to be made. "Something happened and I...I don't know...I think..." She couldn't help but stutter and cut off her own sentences.

"Calm down. What's going on, what happened?"

"It's Diggle, he...he went after Slade dressed as you. The other you, I mean. The Arrow."


	2. Chapter 2

Oliver had only stayed a few minutes longer at Laurel's after his phone call with Felicity making sure that she would be okay for the rest of the night without him. Tonight couldn't be one of those nights to ditch his team for Laurel as he's done before, not with Diggle on the brink of death.

As told by Felicity, the billionaire rushed on over to the hospital instead of the Arrow hideout. She had explained to him that everything was fine and that John had been taken out of the Arrow uniform before taken to the medical facility. Upon his arrival, Oliver met up with Felicity in the hallway working on her laptop along with fellow Team Arrow member, Roy Harper. There was no sign of Sara Lance being with them.

"Oliver, you're here." Felicity quickly shut her laptop just seconds after noticing he showed up despite the lateness of time.

"What the hell happened, Felicity?" Oliver wasted no time asking questions. "Why would Diggle go after Slade when he knows he's no match for him because of the Mirakuru? Were you in on this?" He shot towards Roy not sure what's even going on anymore.

Roy shot his eyes up while leaning against a wall this his arms crossed. "No I wasn't. I should've been otherwise this wouldn't have happened to him."

"I called Roy before I called you and told him where John was thanks to the tracking device in one of your boots."

"When I got there, all I saw was John in your costume dying on the ground right beside Slade's mask. Look, I would've stayed and fought Slade myself if he had shown up."

Oliver looked into the room John Diggle was in, lying in a hospital bed with bruises and cuts all over him. In his head, he was thinking if anyone it should've been him in that hospital bed and not Digs. Not John, not Roy, not Sara or Felicity, but himself.

"He almost killed Diggle and he wouldn't have hesitated to do the same to you, Roy. With Slade and the Mirakuru he's just stronger."

"That's not all either." Felicity spoke up before things boiled up between the two. "When Digs was inside Slade's hideout, he found these." The blonde assistant opened her laptop back up again and brought up a few images on her screen before turning it to show Oliver. "Slade has cameras watching our every move. In Starling, Verdant, and your house. I'm trying to override them and shut them down as we speak."

Oliver stared on more noticeably to the screens all over his own home watching over his mother and his sister. This only added fuel to the fire burning inside of him wanting to desperately put an end to this before his family got hurt.

"Roy, I need you to go be with Thea right now and keep an eye on her. Make sure she's safe and stay with her."

"Wait what?" Roy protested. "If we know where Slade is and where he's hiding then let's go get him right now and end this. Me and you. We can take him together."

"That's the problem, we don't know where he is. If he wasn't there when you went to get Diggle, who knows where he is. Roy...please. I need you to go be with Thea right now. I don't care if she's at the club or at home. Go." Oliver did not want Roy to get angry at this moment because he needed him to save his anger for Slade Wilson.

Roy clenched his fists up but it seemed he had no choice. After all, when he wasn't around it just made Thea open and vulnerable for Slade. And if anything happened to her, there's no telling what we would do. Just thinking of her made Roy calm his nerves down and walk away and out of the hospital to be wherever Thea was.

Felicity pressed her lips together and continued tapping away on her keyboard finding it difficult to shut down each camera. It's like they were encrypted to naturally keep her from getting in. She looked up at Oliver who was still looking on at Diggle resting on his bed set.

"I take half of the blame. I shouldn't have agreed to let him go after Slade." Felicity called out to Oliver trying to advert his attention away from John. She was worried about him, about both of them. "I tried to talk him out of it. Maybe if Roy gave me super strength I could've stopped him."

"It's no one's fault but my own, Felicity. I created Slade, his Deathstroke dark side. I failed to kill him on the island and now it's coming back to haunt me." Oliver retorted back.

"Right." Felicity sadly accepted while fixing her glasses on her face wishing that he would stop beating himself up about these things. "Well on a different note, was taking a break from beating up bad guys wearing a green hood and spending time with the Lance's at least go well?"

Oliver finally turned away from the window and leaned up against a wall, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Sara took off unexpectedly early on and I haven't heard from her since. I was hoping she went back to the hideout with you two."

"So it was just you and Laurel all night?" Felicity intriguingly questioned. "Is it weird whenever you're with both of them because you're in love with Laurel but you're dating Sara?" Oliver was quick to crook his head slightly to the side in confusion. "Wow, why did I say that? Ignore that, if you would. Please." She shook her head in a little embarrassment which actually made Oliver smile for a few moments. He would be lying if he said he wasn't in love with Laurel because he is. But with the double life he leads, he's not sure if things will or even would work out for them.

Just then, a doctor walked over to where the two were writing on a clipboard in a fast sort of manner before stopping briefly. "Are you two staying overnight for Mr. Diggle?"

"Yes we are, thank you." Oliver spoke up, giving the doctor notice before she ended up turning around and walking away.

"You don't have to stay." Felicity finally shook off her moment from before. "Go look for Sara and if you don't find her then it's fine. I'll be here all night trying to decode all of this so Slade can't find any of us."

Oliver once again turned his head just hoping to catch Digs out of his sleep but he looked heavily sedated on medication from his wounds. He didn't know if he wanted to leave while John was unconscious and Felicity by herself.

"I'll be fine, Oliver."

Oliver uttered a quiet 'thank you' to his partner and gave her shoulder a firm squeeze. There was nothing else that could be done tonight to strike Slade back where it hurt. Only for tonight, he won.

* * *

_Clang._

_Clang._

_Clang._

Those were the same noises heard all morning by Oliver Queen climbing up his salmon ladder. After last night, he needed something to release all of his anger and frustration on. When he wasn't climbing, he was practicing hand to hand combat and shooting arrow after arrow at targets. He imagined the bullseye was Slade's head multiple time.

Oliver needed to be stronger and faster to take down Slade. He wanted to seem like he was drugged with the Mirakuru without even taking it. By the way he was attacking the punching bags and stands screaming in rage, he wasn't going to let up.

After what felt like another day on the island to him, Oliver stopped and breathed. His head wasn't clear and his frustrations weren't going anywhere.

It was then he took his own advice he once gave to Roy. When Roy would get out of hand or was on the verge of seeing red in his eyes, he would think of Thea.

Oliver thought for a moment about everything he went through with Sara. Sneaking her on the Gambit, watching her slip away into the water, meeting back with her on the island, everything he had with her now. But nothing worked at the moment. Thinking of Sara on the island brought back memories of him, Slade, and Shado.

In his head, Laurel appeared. After each mistake he's made with her he's been trying to make up for. Felicity was right, he was in love with Laurel and the thought of her made him calm down subtly. She's always been there for him, even when he had lost all hope on the island, she was with him. Laurel kept Oliver going those five years.

"Ollie?"

Oliver picked his head up hearing his name called out and turned around to see who it was. Sara Lance came down the stairs to his surprise seeing her for the first time since she disappeared last night. It struck Oliver as shocking at first watching her just stand there like she's been here the whole time watching him release some steam.

"I was just at the hospital. Felicity said that Digs suffered a broken wrist, a few broken ribs, and a deep stab wound. She said it was-"

"Slade Wilson, yeah." Oliver finished her sentence and got up from where he was sitting wanting to get to other things at the moment. "Where did you go last night? You left without a trace and never answered back."

"I had to take care of something. Actually, that's why I'm here right now. There's something I have to do. Something I have to tell you." There was a look of worry in her eyes that Oliver noticed. He was just hoping that Slade didn't get to her now like he failed to do on the island.

"What's going on, Sara?" Oliver sensed bad news no matter what she said. Whenever something horrid had happened or she felt was going to happen, he knew actually when it bothered her. "Please tell me it wasn't Slade."

Sara shook her head no and began fidgeting with her fingers, another sign of worry. "I have to leave Starling." With a deep breath, she blew away the nerves in her body and strung up confidence to keep this going. Oliver, on the other hand, looked concerned.

"What?" Oliver said with confusion in his voice.

"It's...Nyssa." Sara solemnly walked over to where Oliver was sitting. She looked at his body at every scar and pain that he has suffered through to become the person he is now. She had her own to show for that as well. "Last night I received I distress call from her. The League of Assassins has it out for her right now and she can't face them alone."

"We need you here, Sara. We need you to help fight against Slade." Without Sara around here, Oliver felt like it would be another disadvantage for Slade to capitalize on. One by one, it felt like Team Arrow was starting to crumble right before him. Sara knew it would be a tough decision.

"Sara..." Oliver pleaded to her, standing up and gripping both of her shoulders gently in hopes to keep her from leaving. "Don't leave. I need you and not just me. Your father, Laurel, Sin..." Sara proceeded by shaking her head trembling through this each and every second this continued.

"I won't be gone forever, Ollie. When Nyssa released me from The League of Assassins I owed her something in return. This is it. I have to help her fight back or escape, whatever needs to be done." She raised her hand to cup Oliver's cheek who, again, was at a loss for words. "And last night with Laurel I realized. The way you two look at each other still after all this time...Ollie, I took that away once as a silly college girl. I can't take that away from you two again. It's not and was never my place."

"I also lost you once before as a some below average college guy, Sara. We all lost you."

"That's the thing, Ollie. We both didn't know any better when we got involved with each other. Now...things are clear. We could keep going at this all we want but at the end of the day, it's always going to be Laurel." Sara leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek and took note that this could be the last time they saw each other. She would fight to make sure that wasn't the case.

As much as Oliver needed Sara here, he had no choice but to let her go. She was right, they were different people from who they used to be five years ago. With one kiss to her forehead, Oliver released her.

"Be careful." He whispered to her. Sara gave her an assuring nod and started to walk away towards the stairs of the foundry. A few steps up, she stopped.

"Ollie." His ears perked up and turned to body around to her. "Whatever happens, I want you to promise me one thing." His attention fully turned to when her facial expression changed from sad to absolute boldness. "Kill Slade Wilson."

Oliver never wanted to do anything more in his life than to fulfill those three words that began to repeat over and over in his head. "I plan on it."

A few last exchanged smiles, Sara Lance was gone.

Moments later, Oliver dialed his phone waiting for the other line to pick up. When it finally did, he took in a deep breath.

_"Hello?" _Someone responded.

"_You were right, Roy."_

_"Right about what..exactly?" _

_"Slade Wilson. We're going to where he's hiding tonight and taking him down. Together."  
_

* * *

"Oliver." Felicity's voice ringed into his ear making him stop in his tracks. Roy caught up right behind him with his red hoodie on, hood up, ready to go. "Oliver, I got it. The cameras in your home and in Verdant are completely shut down. I'll work on the rest later."

"Good, and thank you. Those were the most important ones that needed to come down." Oliver felt a little stress relieved from his shoulders now now that Slade couldn't watch over them and his family all at once. He spotted the building a few yards away to Roy and motioned to move forward.

"Why are we doing this alone? Where's Sara?" Roy asked out to Oliver quietly approaching the place from a safe distance away.

"She's gone. She left Starling City to help a friend. You and Felicity are all I have to fight Slade." It was tough to think about it but it was true. It was also Slade's vision to rid everyone from Oliver's life before he ended it himself.

"Is this the only reason you put me back in the field?" Roy questioned.

"No. I needed you when I thought you were ready." Oliver readied an arrow in his bowline spotting two guards just right outside, ready to take them out. "You were right, this needed to end. I can't put anyone else in danger because of me. Not Laurel, not Thea, nobody else. This ends tonight, Roy."

Roy was ready to attack full on, this is what he wanted. He wanted to help make a difference and keep everyone safe just like Oliver did. Tonight was his chance to prove that.

"On my go, take those two guards out and open the doors." Oliver sternly said. Roy was about to do just that until Oliver stopped him. "And Roy...the only person that needs to die tonight is Slade. I'm trusting you to control that." Roy nodded and focused that into his mind to help try and control the Mirakuru inside of him.

They moved in just a little closer in better range and out of sight of the guards that patrolled the front. Oliver raised his bow up and aimed, waiting for the two guards to almost cross paths. Before he released the arrow, he turned his head to Roy and whispered 'Go'.

The two guards almost crossed paths until an arrow shot right in front of their faces and stuck into the door. They were startled and looked at it for a moment. When they turned their heads and tried to raise their guns up to shoot, Roy had already threw punches to both off them and tossed them both aside with his strength. _  
_

As planned, Roy grabbed onto the door handles and saw that Oliver was right behind him aiming his bow once more. With great strength from the Mirakuru, Roy ripped the doors straight from the hinges and threw them aside. Three guards were caught off guard and began shooting towards Roy but were each met by a single arrow shot into their legs. Roy finished them off with a striking blow to their faces to knock them out completely.

"Up the stairs!" Oliver shouted.

Oliver and Roy quickly mobilized up. Slade had to be here close by hearing the gunshots fired by his own men. There was a door just to the side of the stairwell that Oliver told Roy to handle with again.

The moment Roy had swung the doors open so hard they fell off, right on the other side stood a tall figure wearing an orange and black mask; Deathstroke. He delivered a straight kick to knock Roy off of his feet and began to swing his fists at Oliver close by. Oliver dodged each fist with precision and took a leap back to fire an arrow into his leg.

As Slade looked down and snapped the arrow out of his leg, he stared down at Oliver and Roy. They were in no mood for talks with each ounce of anger and frustration rushing throughout them. Oliver loaded up an arrow while Roy had his fists tightened up, and Slade retrieving his sword from the holster on his back.

"Roy, now!" Oliver shouted as he fired arrow after arrow towards Deathstroke. As he did this, Roy had detoured along to the side running after Slade who began chopping down each arrow. With a swift lunge, Roy shot Slade into the wall behind him and was quickly joined by Oliver in the bout.

Slade pushed Roy off to the side allowing Oliver to capitalize and deliver a few shots to his face, almost doing no damage at all. "You fools!" Deathstroke shouted out while knocking Oliver back to the ground. Roy had stepped in and kicked Slade in the back of one of his legs, his strength knocking him down to one knee. Roy followed up with a strong left hook to Slade and then took both of his arms to hold him down.

"Do it!" Roy shouted. With Slade held to his knees only momentarily, Oliver made most of this and fired an arrow into Slade eye, and then another in the center of his forehead. With two arrows sticking out, Slade had not moved until Roy let go and maneuvered his hands to Slade's head and chin, snapping his neck instantly with a yell.

Oliver halted Roy to stop noticing that the Mirakuru was taking over. Roy looked down at his hands and then to Slade, trying desperately to not let himself be controlled by it. "Roy, it's okay. It's over." As Oliver kept Roy from turning into his angered self, he pulled the arrows out of Slade with another worried look on his face. Something was wrong here. Oliver pulled the mask off and threw it aside in his own state of anger. The man under the mask wasn't Slade Wilson.

"He used a decoy on us! Just like Diggle was a decoy to him." Oliver should've known from the start it wasn't Slade the way he went down so easily. But this man was just as strong like he was infected with the Mirakuru as well.

"Well done, Mr. Queen and Mr. Harper." The voice that Oliver would recognize anywhere echoed all over the walls over a speaker. "But you should know that there is no checkmate when you mistake a pawn for the king." Slade Wilson said with ease and much confidence. "But when one pawn goes, another will take its place." The speaker cut out.

Oliver and Roy looked at each other both thinking the same thing in their heads. Slade was planning on an army of his own soldiers throughout Starling City. An army of Mirakuru soldiers that would be impossible to stop with Slade as their leader.

"We're done here, Roy. Slade's not here." They looked at each other with a loss of words again for a moment. "Felicity, I want an entire scan of every building in Starling City. Factories, foundries, warehouses, everything." He said into his earpiece.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" She radioed back to him.

"Some place big enough that would hold an army of Mirakuru infected soldiers without anyone else knowing."

* * *

Oliver was hoping he wasn't too late tonight. After what he felt liked another failed mission to kill Slade Wilson, he sent Roy to stay with Thea again and Felicity went back to the hospital to watch over John. The doctors said he shouldn't be unconscious for much longer as he was healing up.

He knocked on the door to Laurel's apartment and waited patiently outside. A few seconds later, it opened. Laurel was surprised to see Oliver Queen on her doorstep at such a late hour but leave it to him to do things last second.

"Ollie?"

"Hey, can I come in?"

"Yeah, of course."

Laurel felt under dressed in her pajamas after having a such a long day at work herself not getting home until less than an hour ago. Oliver stepped inside and took a seat in one of her chairs looking to speak up but was beaten to it.

"Sara told me what happened between you two. I'm sorry, Ollie." Laurel took the closest seat next to Oliver and took his hand into hers. He wondered what the story was that Sara told her sister to cover up the fact that she was leaving, Whatever it was seemed to work.

"No it's...it's fine. Between me and her, we thought this was for the best." As he looked into Laurel's eyes, he was brought back to the same thoughts he had before. No matter what situation he was in, Laurel was right there for him every time. Oliver gently squeezed her hand, letting her know that he was grateful for her.

"I'm glad, really." Laurel sat up and went to the kitchen part of her apartment and grabbed two wine glasses and filled each halfway. It was tradition to them that whoever went through a bad breakup, they would comfort them with a drink. "Can I ask why you waited so long to come to me about this?"

They each took a sip of their drink, Laurel setting hers down first so she wouldn't overdo it. It's been a long battle against alcohol to the point where she didn't even trust herself drinking alone anymore. Small steps had to be taken towards full recovery and she was grateful that Oliver stayed an extra few minutes the night before to make sure she was okay by herself.

Oliver put aside the situation with Slade off to the side for the night other than the fact he was here to make sure she would be safe.

"You know, I thought about it. And I just didn't think that it would be right coming to you about my relationship with Sara. After everything that's happened-"

"That's all in the past, Oliver." Laurel cut in suddenly. "You're not who you were five years ago, okay? Neither was I or Sara." She let out a tiny chuckle that she found ridiculous at first for doing so. "We were all just kids in love, especially Sara."

"But that mistake cost me everything with you." Oliver looked over to Laurel with his eyes connected with hers. "Five years ago, I called myself the luckiest guy on the planet because I had you. But I never truly appreciated you the way you deserved to be the way Tommy did." He let out a small chuckle of his own not believing that he was telling her all this right now after all the chances he had before.

"Oliver..." Laurel was overcome with emotion like he had stolen her heart all over again like he used to do. "I don't...what are you trying to tell me right now?"

Setting his glass down next to Laurel's, he stood up and made Laurel get up and stopped him like he was about to leave her high and dry. "Ollie...what is it? I wouldn't have listened to you if the Gambit didn't shipwreck and you came back with Sara unscathed and tried to lie to me about it."

Oliver stopped in his tracks wondering whether or not he should take this road right now. He knows that once he goes down it the way he is now, there's no turning back. Slowly, he turned to Laurel blew out a deep breath.

"The reason why Sara and I ended things were because we both knew. Knew that no matter how things kept up between the two of us, it wouldn't change how I feel about you, the way I've always felt about you."

Laurel was speechless to the man before her that she always felt that her heart belonged to. Oliver closed the gap between and held Laurel close to his body. She was lovestruck by him but worried in her heart about getting hurt again with him. Oliver knew and gave her every right to be.

"No more lies, no more secrets, and no more mistakes." Oliver whispered to her. Laurel's response was a soft kiss to his lips and pulling him into her arms this time. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that Oliver was the one for her and the worry in her heart vanished. Oliver lead Laurel down onto the couch where they kissed even more getting out all of their feelings in the open.

Pulling away first was Oliver leaving them both to be breathless thanks to one another. Something on his chest he wanted to get off after coming back had been wiped away as well. All that was left was one more thing.

"Laurel, before any of this happens. There's one more thing you have to know." Laurel put her finger to his lips and and cupped his cheek with her hand, feeling the scruffiness of his beard.

"It's okay, Oliver. I know." She looked deep into his eyes and assured him with one final nod that she figured out and knew long ago that he was The Arrow. "I know."


End file.
